Constellation: Vega
by Skylark93
Summary: They called her useless. So, what happens when a current tutor decided to prove them wrong, by sending her to train with an unknown ally famiglia of the Vongola?
1. Broken

**Disclaimer**: I do not own KHR, I wish I did though, because there'd be way more Haru loving

**Warnings**: OCs, OOC, slightly inappropriate jokes/comments

**Authoress Note**: I know that Vega not a constellation, but it is the _brightest_ star in the constellation, Lyra. I felt that the title would be more creative this way xD.

**Summary**: They called her useless. So, what happens when a current tutor decided to prove them wrong, by sending her to train with an unknown ally famiglia of the Vongola?

* * *

A teen brunette leaned against the wall of the hallway as she listened to the conversation that was talking place in the library of the Vongola headquarters. They didn't know that she was eavesdropping on them. Nor did she know who was there exactly. Of course, she knew that it was completely wrong to do such a thing, but the Guardians looked like they were having a rather deep and important discussion at the moment and shouldn't be disturbed for anything. She would've left earlier, if not for the fact she caught them mentioning her name. She was curious why they were speaking about her in the first place. Normally, when they had top secret mafia related meetings, it was held in a more secure area.

Not that anything about the mafia took her and her best friend by surprise now. After all, it had been already 5 years since the time travel incident, since the truth was finally revealed. She was now more...knowledgeable on the whole underground business and such. However, as long as the guardians got back in one piece, she was perfectly fine. Though, with it being the mafia and all, she knew there would be a day when one come's back baring bad news. The now somewhat quiet room drew her out of her thoughts.

The brunette frowned when their voices were lowered, and tried to strain her ear to hear what was being said. She crouched low and stuck to the egg shell white walls as she crept closer and closer.

"Tsuna, are you sure about this? She's not going to take the news very well."

She recognized that voice. Yamamoto Takeshi, the Rain Guardian of the Vongola Decimo. It felt strange, hearing such a friendly voice be so serious at times. It was usually playful and cheerful, so hearing it with seriousness often caught the girl off guard.

"I agree, Haru-nee is not going to forgive us for this so easily."

Lambo? The cute, adorable, sugar addicted 10 year old Lightening Guardian? He was there as well? The cow print wearing boy always made a run for the hills whenever there was a meeting. He often told her they were so dry and boring, and how he falls asleep and wakes up with an explosive at his feet, courtesy of a certain bomber.

"She is, no doubt, going to be upset to the extreme!"

"Turf head, baseball idiot, stupid cow, she has nothing to do with this at all. All she did was stick her nose where it does not belong."

She smiled when she heard the familiar bicker sounds of the Sun Guardian, Sasagawa Ryohei, and the Storm Guardian, Gokudera Hayato. There wasn't a single that where they didn't bicker with one another. But the smile instantly vanished when she recalled the words of a explosive loving man, what did he mean by that?

"Herbivore, if you had only called me here to discuss about that woman, I will bite you to death."

"Kufufufu~, it seems like our Decimo has earned himself the top spot on the Cloud guardian's 'to maim' list."

Haru stayed in her position, and held her breath. The Cloud Guardian and the Mist Guardian are in the same room? And nothing broke ye-...spoke too soon. The sound of porcelain breaking into thousands of pieces filled the awkward silence. Hibari Kyoya and Rokudo Mukuro...two of the most highly dangerous people in the mafia world...are in the same room, at the same time. The pretty brunette prayed that the other guardians would make it out with their lives.

"B-Boss."

Chrome sounded awfully upset over the topic herself. She and Chrome have gotten closer over the years together, almost like sisters. While she didn't hold the Vongola Mist ring anymore, she is still considered a guardian by several others. She still had a Mist ring...it was just different from the Vongola ones.

"Dame-Tsuna, don't you think it's a bit too late to pull Haru out? Its been 5 years already"

The non-guardian felt her heart skip a beat. She was questioning what the former arcobaleno tutor meant when he said 'pull her out', but after she heard the following words, she completely understood what the dark eyed man was saying. Her eyes were starting to prickle when the words settled completely.

"It is more understandable that Kyoko-chan has to be, as her brother is a guardian, after all. The enemy may target her, but she has myself and her brother to protect her. Haru...Haru has no connection to the mafia whatsoever. It would be best if we pull her out while we can."

"That stupid woman, can't do anything at all."

"Gokudera!"

Was that...Tsuna-san? He sounded different. More cold and ruthless. She knew that being in the mafia would change the kind-hearted brown haired male, but this? And what Gokudera added at the end didn't really help her feel any better. The fact that Yamamoto spoke up in the end made her smile inwardly though. Haru stood to her feet, still hidden by the wall of the hallway, and quietly walked down the long path. How can he just decide to kick her out? The 19 year old zoned out entirely, several thoughts running through her mind at the moment.

Over the years, she watched him and his guardians grow, from middle schoolers associated with the mafia to fully fledged, powerful people of the mafia. She had been there when they struggled with difficult tasks. She tended to their wounds and made sure they had proper nutrition. She and Kyoko made sure to always get the house hold chores done so the guardians would have a clean headquarters to come home to. Yet...yet...they still-

"Ah, Haru-chan!"

Said brunette turned around to face the long haired love interest of the Decimo, who was running up to her. Her round eyes were looking at her with happiness, a smile on her face. But that vanished the second the ginger noticed the saddened look on her best friend. Kyoko frowned and put a hand on the younger girl's shoulder.

"Is everything alright, Haru-chan? You seem sad."

"Hahi! I-Its nothing to worry about, Kyoko-chan, Haru is just fine. Haru just forgot it was Haru appreciation day is all~"

"Eh? But we had that last week."

"Hahi!? A-ano, Haru doesn't think one day is enough to celebrate, so Haru decided to celebrate twice."

"Oh. Well, ok. But tell me next time you plan to celebrate twice, I want to celebrate with you!"

"O-Okay. But, right now, Haru wants to get something from her room."

"Alright, I'm going to go get the guys. Have you told them that dinner is ready?"

"I-It slipped my mind" Trying to act normally, haru merely tapped her knuckle to her temple and stuck her tongue out childishly. "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it, Haru-chan, anyways, don't forget to come and eat after you do what you need to."

Haru didn't say another word before she left to go in the direction of her room. Once she had made it to her destination, she entered the dark room and locked the door upon closing it. Even with the lights off, she managed to find her bed, and collapsed onto it. The soft, sweet smelling comforter offered her a...comforting feel. It was just so inviting and warm. Without even lifting her head from the mattress, she reached up and grabbed her feather soft pillow before pulling it beneath her face to muffle her sobs.

* * *

She didn't know for how long she was crying. But it felt like an eternity. By the time she was done crying her heart out, her eyes were sore and a strong headache was pounding. It stung to open her eyes afterwards, but when she did, she swiftly closed them after seeing the tall figure that stood by the door. She could tell how it was, despite there was no light on at all, the moonlight was all she needed to see the edges of his hat and the color of the band.

"H-how did you get in here?"

"You heard?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Reborn-san."

The man merely stared at her. He was able to notice her presence earlier, and after she had left and was side-tracked by Kyoko, he had already made it to her room and awaited her arrival. She was very upset by the time she opened the door, eyes clouded with tears, so she didn't notice him standing by her desk. And he decided it was best to let her express or vent her feelings before he decided to make himself known.

"Do not play dumb with me, Haru. They may not have noticed you, but that doesn't mean I didn't."

"R-Reborn-san, c-can we please ta-talk about this som-some other day?"

"I will be straight forward with this, Haru, I don't like beating around the bush or sugarcoating anything. As you are now, yes, you are useless to them." She started to sob again, but before she could start brawling again, he continued, "However, you do have potential."

He tossed something in her direction, startling her. She managed to catch the items, although with great difficulty. After all, her headache was getting worse by the second. She carefully felt the items in hand and looked at the shadowy figure in the distance. He just stood and watched as she returned her stare to the objects, confused.

"A ring...and box?"

"Open the box."

"H-Hahi! Haru can't do that, she can't! Haru...Haru has no flames..."

"If you had no flames, you would be dead. You just have not had the proper training, in order to control your flame. Your resolve is not yet strong enough, but" By now, the ex-tutor sounded a little annoyed, for some reason unknown to the brunette, "I am sure, that your resolve must be churning now."

It had taken a few tries to actually get the flame to appear. But after a while, a small flame emerged from the silver ring. Mimicking how the guardians used their rings, she gently put the ring to the opening of the box and watched as the flame that darted out take form. Flames protruded from the ears and tips of its front paws. The tongue hung out slightly as it panted, bright eyes staring directly at her. It was rather small in comparison with Yamamoto's Jirou, but nonetheless, it was adorable in her eyes.

"Haru, I am about to tell you what you have to do."

"H-Hai."

The skilled hitman looked at the teen before him. What he was about to ask her would change her life as she knows it. Once she chose that path...there will be no turning back. She will be bound and trapped until the end of her life. From her eyes, he could see the determination and willingness. But also, he could see the hurt and fear that lingered. Reborn sighed inwardly, and closed his eyes.

"Follow these steps closely, Haru, clear?" She nodded, and although his eyes were closed at the moment, he understood that her silence was the answer.

* * *

Ehh. Let me just say, after a few more chapters (probably just 2-3 more), there will be a time skip. So, during that, the original cast of KHR will not be making an appearance. Its just so you guys get a glimpse of what Haru is actually doing, and you will be introduced to the OCs in the story.

Also please check out my profile page to cast your vote on what flame Haru should have in _Constellation:Vega_

I accept constructive criticism but please no flames. Sorry if some characters are ooc, but some scenes might not work if they weren't. Anyways, thank you for taking the time to read my fic.


	2. The first week

**Disclaimer**: I do not own KHR

**Warnings**: OCs, OOC, slightly inappropriate jokes/comments

**Authoress note**: Yay, you guys get to meet 2 of the 6 guardians in this chapter, along side with their very fussy butler. As I've said before, for the next 2 or 3 chapters, the original cast of KHR won't be making an appearance, but they will be some mentions of them.

**Summary**: They called her useless. So, what happens when a current tutor decided to prove them wrong, by sending her to train with an unknown ally famiglia of the Vongola?

* * *

Haru sat on the center of the provided bed, pulling the blankets closer to her quivering form. The mattress was actually quite soft and comfortable and the comforter gave warmth to the freezing girl. She shivered again and frowned. She would've been more prepared for the change in climate, if Reborn had not had her dragged off so quickly after the events of yesterday afternoon. However, he told her that it would be best to leave as soon as possible before the guardians noticed anything wrong, and that the famiglia is contacted is already waiting for her. Of course, she listened to the number one hit-man and packed her personal belongings in record time.

But when she had arrived in Venice, Italy, the famiglia that Reborn said he contacted was not yet prepared for her. Yes, he had contacted them and asked them to help, but he never told them that she was coming the next day. So, you can imagine the confusion and shock on the faces of all the people when a teenage japanese girl showed up on the door step, knowing little to no italian and was shivering. Best of all, the boss of the famiglia was currently on bed rest after being injured on a mission, and his guardians were all still on their respective missions. Apparently, none of the higher ups were there to give her a warm welcome and she was stuck with the lower ranking people of the famiglia.

The person who greeted her though, after she had been let into the household, made her day...well, not entirely. After being bombarded with questions in a language that she didn't even understand, she viewed the man as her savior...again, not really. She was just happy he knew japanese and she had someone to communicate with, all he needed to work on was his social skills. Then again, he basically just translated the questions for the workers. She had to argue with the male for several minutes and had to resort to calling Reborn to prove that she was supposed to be there, she was finally given a room to stay in until one of the guardians came back. Who knows how long that'll be. So, she just decided to stay in the room and wait. From what the fedora wearing man said, they, the guardians, will be easy to communicate with as they speak japanese fluently. None of them ever stepped foot outside of Europe. They had been born and raised in Italy, all japanese with italian blood in the mix. It was at this point and time, that Haru regretted the fact that she chose **not** to study Italian while she was still in high school. Because, at moments like this, knowing italian would be helpful so she knew what was being said.

"Oi, girl, dinner is ready. Open the door."

Haru snapped out of her thoughts and merely stared at the heavy wooden door, closed and locked. It was that unpleasant man from earlier that morning. Thankfully, he was speaking japanese, so she understood what he was saying. But, despite the warning bells going off in her head, she chose to ignore him, which didn't sit too well with the man. He knocked even louder than the first time, not at all caring that he may be waking the other inhabitants of the mansion.

"Damn it, you annoying little bitch, open your fucking door!"

The brunette could swear that she saw the wooden door shake from the amount of force he was knocking with. Confronting the angry man at the moment was not an option, he was a skilled mafia member, although he didn't appear as such, and fighting him was not a smart move. Moving swiftly and jumping off the bed and landing soundlessly on the wooden floor, the teen made a break for the en-suite bathroom. She then locked the door and turned on the shower and pretended to be humming merrily. From the inside of the bathroom, she could hear the door be kicked in and the man grumbling insincere words. Taking a deep breath, she slipped her shirt down her shoulders some and just added droplets of water. Carefully, and slowly, the brunette opened the door to see the man setting the meal on the bedside table. Putting on the best, fake innocent act, she spoke.

"Emilio-san?"

Said man turned around to look at her. A blush spread instantly across his face and he brought his gaze somewhere else, muttering more impolite words under his breath.

"What the hell the the matter with you, you damn woman! Don't go opening the bathroom door while you're taking a shower and there's someone in your room. Your dinner is there. Eat." Emilio snapped, moving in the direction of the door of her temporary room. He inspected the damaged done when he had kicked it in and sighed, "This needs to be fixed."

Haru relaxed when she saw him leave, and fixed her appearance. She stepped out into the room again and looked at the food. They couldn't poisoned it, just to kill her. They would be going against Reborn's orders. Taking a risk, she used the fork and spoon to cut a small piece and chewed. The brunette waited a while, and after deciding that the food was definitely not poisoned, she finished the food in no time flat. No sooner had she finished the meal, she yawned tiredly.

With the feeling of warm food in her stomach, she settled more easily into her, and closed her eyes.

* * *

_A week._

It has been a week since she arrived in Venice, and still, she has not met any guardians or the boss. But over the course of the week, she had gotten Emilio to be nicer to her...somewhat nicer anyways. They were now able to have a conversation for a few minutes, and he was teaching her a few things in italian. However, Haru did still feel a little lonely. Normally, when she was in Japan, she'd be out with friends either shopping or eating. Now...now, she was just waiting for someone, bored out her wits. Reborn had called her though, he had told her that the Vongola were currently looking for her whereabouts. She had to admit, she was a bit disheartened that it took them a week to act. The hit-man reassured her though, that everything was going to be fine, she just can't step out of the mansion for a few days, or a year (she sure hoped that he was joking, but he sounded completely serious).

Emilio then cheered her up, just a _little_ bit, by informing her that the first guardian would be arriving very shortly. She was also then informed that the boss was **back** on bed rest, as he tried leaving early that week, only to aggravate his injuries even more. She sighed, it seemed like she'll never meet the boss if he was always trying to sneak away from the hospital bed. A person on the medical staff said that he was just eager to meet her and wanted to use her as an excuse to leave the medical ward. _'Their boss must be childish_', Haru thought.

She was given permission to walk around the mansion, as long as she didn't enter any room that said not too. And what do you know, she ended up in the library of the building. She was so taken in by the amounts of books on the shelves, she didn't notice the maids and butlers scrambling about, getting ready to greet their higher ranking comrade. Haru just continued to browse through the shelves, picking up a book every now and then before she scanned through them and set it back. The brunette spotted a rather interesting book, which as unfortunately, on a high shelf level. She took the ladder that was standing in the corner, and brought it to the shelf. As soon as her finger tips brushed against the edge of the book, the library door opened with a loud slam.

"Oi, greet the Storm Guardian properly, woman!"

Emilio's voice, accompanied with that loud slam, startled the short haired brunette and caused her to lose her balance on the ladder. Within seconds, the teen was falling from her position, and she braced herself for the impact, which never came. She dared to open a single eye an let out a small 'eep' when she realized that the person was staring down at her. His cool gray eyes were looking at her with great intensity. It startled the brunette somewhat, and yet, she couldn't bring herself to look away from those colored eyes.

"I'm sorry!" Was the first words that came from the brunette's mouth. And much to her surprise, the male who had caught her had a small grin on his face.

"You must be that woman that Reborn-san has been talking about. I do hope that none of the staff have been giving you a rough time here while the guardians were away. Because if they were, then I'd have to give them a proper lesson on how to treat a very important guest."

The teen was stunned at the fluency of the male's japanese, even his pronunciation sounded perfect to her ears. Reborn was right about that. Seeing the look of confusion on the brunette's face, he just set her down on the ground gently, knowing that she was still shaken up from the fall, and knelt beside her. It was then that Haru decided to get a better look at the young male. He actually didn't look at much older than herself. The color of his eyes were a gray-ish silver, now that she had a better view of the stunning orbs. The male's hair was a deep, dark red color, almost appearing brown. It was unkempt, short and spiky, which seemed to add to his charm. From when he had caught her early, she knew that he definitely had muscles despite the fact he looked quite scrawny.

"I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself, and yet, here I am flirting with a very cute girl. I am Kazuki Vivace, the Storm Guardian of Vega."

"I-I'm H-"

"Pretty, young miss, I know who you are. Reborn-san had informed us, at length, of course. I just to happened to be the closest one to the headquarters and I decided to be the first one of the guardians to greet you. Would you prefer me to call you Miura-san or Haru-san?"

"H-Haru-san is just fine, Vivace-san."

"Then please just call me Kazuki, Haru-san. I know I asked this earlier, but have the staff been giving you a difficult time while the guardians were away? And please tell me the truth, because I will speak with them."

She soon found herself in a deep conversation with the surprisingly friendly Storm Guardian. The other wielders of the Storm Flame that Haru knew, in Haru's opinion, are violent people. Or had very unique tendencies, such as having deadly explosives or funny looking throwing knives. Aside from those two, there was also the red arcobaleno, not in anyway similar as he was more calm and level-headed.

"K-Kazuki-san, if I may ask, what are the plans for me here?"

"That will be discussed when the Sun Guardian arrives. He is the right-hand man of the Vega Decimo. He will return within two days. So, could you please wait until then, Haru-san?" Haru sighed and only nodded. "I hear you've been staying in the guest's spare rooms. That won't do. You will be here a while, you need a more comfortable room. Come, I will show you the way to the room I have had prepared for your arrival."

* * *

The 19 year old stared at the newly arrived Sun Guardian. He is different from Kazuki, that's for sure. Appearance and personality wise...well, just appearance wise. His apple green eyes were slightly dull and appeared to be glossed over. Then there was the hair, which was much like Kazuki's, the only exception being that it was slightly longer and is a smokey brown instead of reddish brown. According to the Storm Guardian, before he left to do his routinely afternoon showers, the Sun is the kindest and most understanding, and it is wise to stick close to the Sun Guardian whenever danger is near. What stood out to her as odd about the man, was the distant and somewhat cloudy gaze he had.

"Haru-san, pleased to meet you. My name is Takeru Yoshida, the Sun Guardian of Vega. I'm sure that Kazuki-san has told you of my arrival, yes?"

Haru nodded.

"Haru-san?"

"Y-Yes, Kazuki-san has told me."

"Good, if you would please follow me, we will discuss this matter at hand in the Boss' office." Haru noticed that he seemed to be a little stiff at the moment for reasons unknown. Possibly because he was afraid of stepping on the dog beside him? They had made it to what was apparently the Boss' office and Haru had braced herself. Only when Takeru had opened the doors, did the brunette relax. The Boss wasn't there yet...again. "Unfortunately, the Vega Decimo was injured on a recent mission and is in the medical ward at the moment. I was told he did recover though, somewhat, and he tried to sneak out...then aggravate his injuries...again."

A Boss getting injured and injuring himself again? _How careless or reckless is the Vega Boss? _Haru thought to herself, though it may have accidentally slipped out of her mouth as well, because the guardian in front of her chuckled.

"He can be...sometimes. From what I heard, it was because the enemy tried to use bystanders as shields. Our Boss would never harm an innocent person who has nothing to do with the mafia." After the male pulled the dog onto his lap, he gestured for her to sit across from him. Within seconds, a warm cup of tea was set before them. "You must be curious about your next few months with us, yes?"

"Y-Yes I am, Takeru-san."

"I'll break it down for you then. For the first 6 months you will be here, I, along with the other guardians, will be mostly observing you. Of course, we can't jump straight into the combat skills. We need to assess you. Things like what are you capable of now, how is your endurance, your agility, reflex, strengths and weaknesses." A pause, "So we will be able to adjust our training program to your level. Is there any special skill or talent that you have?"

"I did t-take gymnastics while I-I was in middle school. I've been planning to do so again"

"Good, your flexibility and balance and coordination must be well. But we shall see when the real training starts. But for now, I will explain how it will work." Takeru said, "Right now, there is only 6 guardians, including myself. So for two months, one of us will have you as our student, meaning that you will be under the wing of a certain guardian for two months before moving onto the next one. That way, you will have trained with all of the guardians within the span of a year."

Haru just nodded, which he seemed to catch and he continued with the explanation.

"Reborn-san had asked us this favor, but he didn't say for how long to train you. Until he decides, you will be staying under the care of the Vega, is that alright with you?"

"Y-Yes."

"There is no need for you to be so scared of us, Haru-san, we won't hurt you" Takeru smiled warmly. "Also, during and after the assessments, you will be having tutoring sessions, along side of the training. You need to learn to speak and understand various languages aside from Italian, such as; French, German, Swedish, Russian, English. It will be a difficult thing for you, I will not lie." A pause, "But every guardian has faith that you will do well."

"Despite not even knowing me?" Haru asked curiously.

"We wouldn't have accepted Reborn-san's request if we thought you couldn't do it. He wouldn't have sent you here if he didn't think you couldn't do it as well. Have a little more confidence, Haru-san." Takeru stood and glanced at the window. "I'm sorry, but right now, I have to speak with the Decimo. Please feel free to explore, unless, you wish to retire for the day."

"I think I'll just go to the gardens. And think things though more."

Takeru halted in his steps and turned back to her. A reassuring smile on his face.

"Haru-san, I'm pretty sure you'll do well, don't sweat the small stuff, ne?"

* * *

Yes, I apologize if this chapter was bit dry. But it just shows the events of what happened when Haru arrived at the Vega famiglia mansion. You also get to see the two of six main OCs in the story and get taste of their personalities and mannerisms and other things. The next chapter will be a time skip of 6 months, and when Haru's real training begins. Also, Takeru and Kazuki were speaking to Haru in japanese throughout the chapter, because they knew she couldn't really speak or understand Italian.

On another note, I did get some interesting results on the poll on my profile page. I think I'll leave it up for a few more days before revealing the chosen dying will flame for Haru. As both Kazuki and Takeru have been revealed as the Storm and Sun guardians respectively, those will not longer be any of the choices. Please check out my profile page to cast your vote on which dying will flame Haru should have.

Thank you for taking the time to read the fic. I like getting constructive criticism but please no flames.


	3. 6 months

**Disclaimer**: I do not own KHR

**Warnings**: OCs, OOC, slightly inappropriate jokes/comments

**Authoress note**: Yay, you guys already met two of the six guardians, I hope that you're ready to meet two more. Please remember that this chapter takes place 6 months after Haru left Japan and arrived in Italy.

**Summary**: They called her useless. So, what happens when a current tutor decided to prove them wrong, by sending her to train with an unknown ally famiglia of the Vongola?

* * *

"Eep!"

"Come on now, you gotta be faster than that if you plan to make it out alive!"

"Haru thought that this was just a warm-up!"

"Silly girl, it is a warm-up. The real part of the training will start after you complete this."

The brunette let out another small squeak as she ducked, narrowly avoiding being hit by the flying projectile that was launched by a machine. She glance up, hands still shielding her cranium and looked at her instructor, who merely stared at her with mild curiosity. The teen was still on the ground, curled in a protective ball like posture. Apparently, that action was foreign to the guardian as confusion was evident in his eyes. He tilted his head slightly, as if trying to understand.

"What are you doing?"

"Trying to not die, desu!"

"Sitting there won't help you on the fields, Haru-san, you need to keep moving."

"Can't Haru go back to just building her endurance again?"

The male sighed and moved to turn off the machine. It was only the first week into the actual training regime, and he knew not to expect anything spectacular from the foreigner. Not to say that she was awful, its just that she was struggling with applying what she learned from the books, to the field itself. Yes, she understood why she had to read about battle techniques and strategies, but she had trouble executing actions. Right at this very moment, they were just doing simple test on her evasion and escape techniques. After all, the mafia weren't all just about fighting, but knowing when to run, especially when engaging the enemy isn't the primary objective but gather information is.

In the Guardian's opinion, the way that the new trainee gathered information was impressive. She was using some gymnastics, among other things, and managed to get the paper that had INFO written in big, bold, black letters. The trouble was when she accidentally knocked over a vase which caused a scattering sound and the sound sensitive machines to react. Within seconds, the brunette was running for dear life as laser beams from the slim machines shot toward her. Those were to simulate if the enemy did catch sight of the teen, and her reaction was not what he had quite expected.

"Let's try this again." The reddish-brown haired male said, trying to encourage her gently.

"Kazuki-san wants to kill Haru!" The brunette accused, causing the Storm Guardian to look quite taken back by her declaration. Haru, feeling in the mood to tease the startled and shocked guardian, put on her best fake innocent act and continued, "Haru thought we are friends!"

"W-We are friends! I-I-" Kazuki stuttered, unsure of what to say next. Her declaration of him trying to kill her had caught him off guard, and turned him into a babbling mess of a man. The sound of giggling erupted from behind the duo, causing them both to turn around and face the Cloud Guardian, who had a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter. Kazuki frowned, he didn't hear the door to the stimulation room opening at all, so he was curious as to how his fellow comrade manage to get in undetected. "Rei."

"She's just playing with you, Kazuki, no need to be so flustered" Rei chirped happily. "Haru-chan is so adorably cute, I knew I couldn't trust you to be alone with our newest trainee, that's why I came here. Who knows what goes on in that mind of yours~"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" The Storm Guardian snapped, clearly not amused by what the older guardian had been implying. Haru watched as the two interacted with one another, and couldn't help but compare them to siblings.

Haru had met Kazuki a little over 6 months ago, he was the first Guardian to greet her. Over the span of those months, they had grown quite close. Haru had learnt a lot about the Vega Storm Guardian. Such as that he is an absolute clean freak, everything needs to be clean. She had noticed that whenever something wasn't clean, his nose would twitch just the slightest before he fixed what was bothering him. Another quirk is that he is also bit of a prankster, and he had even gotten her to join him in some of his little good-natured pranks. After all, he is the youngest guardian of the family, despite being only a few months younger than herself.

The brunette recalled how she first met the Cloud Guardian of Vega, it was not a pretty sight. The mission turned out to be quite difficult for the lone guardian and when Rei was brought back to the family grounds, she was battered, bruised and unconscious, dried blood on her arms and staining her clothes. It had taken a few days for the 20 year old to regain consciousness and when she did, she was not so happy, especially when she caught sight of her ruined clothing. The Sun and Storm Guardians had to be brought in to calm the angered woman before she could launch her fury towards any innocent bystanders. It was when Rei was threatening the lives of her fellow comrades, she noticed the young brunette behind them. Her angry was quickly put aside and joy replaced the former emotion, happily shouting _'Oh, thank goodness there's another woman here! I can't put up with these brutes for any longer!' _

The 20 year old standing in front of them now, of course, looked completely different when she wasn't wrapped like a mummy in bandages. Haru noted that the woman's hair was an extremely dark shade of blue, making it seem almost black in color. The color of the eyes were a dark shade of emerald green. She had a slim build and was rather petite, but looks are very deceiving when it came to the female.

"It means what it means, Kazuki. Besides, I'm here under orders of our beloved boss' right-hand man." Rei replied, "He said that the morning training will resume in the afternoon, after you guys properly rest and eat to regain energy. You guys have been training since early this morning, take a break. Look at what you did to poor, adorable Haru. She can't meet the boss looking like this you know."

"Meeting...the boss?" Haru repeated, uncertain and suddenly feeling nervous. The Cloud Guardian nodded in response.

"That's right, Boss wants to meet you" The long haired maiden said, "You haven't met him yet, have you? He can get pretty restless when he has to lay in bed all day due to injuries. He absolutely hates that feeling, so he often tries to leave without permission. And makes him have to stay longer because he...well, you know~"

"He's feeling a lot better now and had gotten approval to move around the mansion, as long as he doesn't overexert himself." Kazuki continued for the older guardian, "I was going to tell you, but it slipped my mind earlier, sorry about that."

"Will he like me?" Haru asked nervously, fiddling with the hem of her shirt.

"Haru-chan, you're seriously over thinking things. Boss likes just about everyone in the family...mostly everyone. As Takeru-san said long ago, when you first came here, Reborn-san wouldn't have sent you if he didn't think you had no potential." Rei smiled, "No need to worry, silly girl. Anyways, let's go get you cleaned up before we eat. Boss will be waiting after lunch. You guys can put the training on hold until later on."

"Good for you, Haru, you get to relax for a little bit and get cleaned up before we can continue your training" Kazuki smiled, giving her a thumbs up.

"You mean, Haru gets to die clean and nicely dressed?" Haru said, mock happiness in her tone.

"Ye- I already told you, I'm not going to kill you with this training!"

* * *

Haru sighed tiredly and flopped onto the provided bed. The comfort it offered was very enticing at the moment. Rei had told her to be ready exactly by 12 noon, and the guardian was still absent. For what reason, the brunette didn't know. She was about to call the certain long haired woman, when the person she was looking for burst into the room, prancing around happily. Without any warning, the guardian practically dragged the brunette out of her room and into the hallway.

"Our leader is already there Haru-chan. Sorry I took so long to fetch you, I was just so happy that nii-chan is finally no longer on bed rest and there was so much to tell him~"

_Nii-chan?_

"Nii-chan?" Haru asked, causing the dancing woman to freeze in her tracks.

"Oh, that's right, Kazuki, Takeru and I didn't tell you. Our boss is my nii-chan~" Rei replied in a joyful tone and continued her strange little dance.

"EH!?"

"And I told him that you're having a rough start with the training and all, and he suggested a couple of tips that will surely help you out with this transition. So, let's head on down and greet him. He's always wanted to meet the girl that Reborn-san spoke about. And its better to get to know him as soon as you can, because if your on his good side, you can pretty much get away with anything~"

"Rei-chan, what non-sense are you going on and on about now?" A chirper voice asked as the person made their appearance. Haru smiled as the Sun Guardian just lazily toss an arm around the Cloud guardian's shoulder and pulled her into a one-arm hug. Again, his distant, somewhat dazed over look confused the new trainee. Its like he could see without any seeing, in her opinion. He chided the younger guardian playfully, "Are you trying to tell the newest trainee of ours to know how to pull our boss' kindness string? What a bad example of a guardian you are. Anyways, its not wise to keep the Vega Decimo waiting, especially when he's hungry."

"W-Wait, your brother is the Decimo, but you're still one of the guardians?"

"I've been raised since I was young to become the guardian of the next Vega Boss. It just so happened that nii-chan is the boss. There were other candidates for the boss as well though, but nii-chan was decided in the end."

The trio made their way down the hall and bumped into the red-flamed guardian along the way. Haru noted, that she only met half of the guardians within the six months she had been there. Two were still on a mission, and their Boss was (and is now off of) bed rest, so she'll be seeing him soon. But according to Rei, the last two aren't exactly the friendliest people to new comers, but once they get to know someone, they are both very protective. Haru was just hoping to get on the boss' good side first, so her life will not be threatened by the last two.

"Believe it or not, our Decimo **had** the choice of whether or not to take the title. If he had wanted to, he could've chosen a normal life...well, as normal as life can be for a mafia member. If he had chosen to not be the boss, we'd be the guardians to the second best candidate to the family. We're just thankful that he chose to follow his mother's foot steps." Kazuki joined in the conversation.

"His mother's?" Haru asked, curiously. She was told that there are female mafia bosses, but there were fewer amounts than males that held such a title.

"Haha, that's everyone's reaction when they heard that~ Yup, yup, his mother was the former boss. She's still alive, just passed down the position to her son." Rei said, smiling as they neared the dining hall. Haru noted the way that the Cloud guardian spoke, confused slightly on the words spoken. Maybe she was just over-thinking things. "She's crazy strong, she can kick anyone's butt~ Ah! There's the man that you're going to meet~ Nii-chan, the special guest has arrived~"

Haru looked at the man who glanced up from the newspaper and instantly held her breath. Why was it that all the members of the famiglia seemed to look so...stunning. The blonde haired male at the head of the table tilted his head in confusion at her silence. And the brunette watched as his amethyst purple eyes seemed to glimmer with amusement at her expression of awe. All of his features seemed to compliment each other.

"Miura, Haru. It is a pleasure to finally be able to get to meet you."

"Hahi! U-um, the same as well, Vega Decimo." The blonde raised and brow and gestured for the rest for the famiglia to take a seat at the table. The brunette hesitated before the Storm guardian pulled out a chair beside him and guided her to it.

"No need to be so shy, Haru-san." the male spoke, "I am Shinji Shizuki. As you already know, I am the current boss of the famiglia. But please feel free to call me Shinji, or if you prefer, just Boss. After all, Vega Decimo is quite long compared to my name."

"S-Shinji-san" Haru stuttered, sounding uneasy as she addressed him by his first name. It was clear that she seemed a bit hesitant of calling him that after they had just only met, "Boss."

"I've heard that your having a hard time with the training so far. But thats normal though, Kazuki is a difficult tutor to have-"

"Hey! I make an excellent tutor!" The Storm guardian defended.

"But I will give you a few tips to get the hang of everything. Would it be alright if I watch you fight after our late lunch?" Haru merely nodded, too shy to say anything. Normally, she would've been more than happy to chat with another person, but as the male seated in front of her was her new boss, she was a bit intimidated. "Great, then, without any more delays, let us enjoy our meal."

* * *

Haru bit her lip lightly as she glanced at the spectators from the corner of her eyes. Rei, the ever so encouraging one, was doing what appeared to be a little cheer routine. Takeru, on the other hand, was just smiling and giving her a thumbs up. Then there was Shinji, who was merely watching with a seemingly expressionless face, though the corners of his lips were slightly twitching. Lastly was Kazuki, who was a nervous wreck at the moment. Her tutor was more nervous than she was. Seeing them lined up together made for a rather comical sight in Haru's opinion.

The sound of beeping had caught her attention and she knew that the simulation program had begun. Bracing herself, she glanced around before she moved. Remembering what she was taught earlier, her movements were much more fluid like...of course, that was before the laser beams started firing. After that, it was all down hill. Within the 10 minutes, the brunette was on the ground, curled in a ball, and trying to press herself further into the solid floor.

"Haru-chan..." Rei whispered quietly, her eyes holding sympathy as she looked at the trainee. Kazuki had run to turn off the machine when their boss signaled for him to. Judging from how the boss was looking at the brunette, it was clear what he was thinking. Without any words being spoken, Shinji knelt before the teen and gently pulled her to her feet, much to her shock. What stunned her more was the fact that the blonde man was smiling.

"...Your technique needs a little work" he teased, amethyst eyes glinting with playfulness, "Shall I demonstrate for you?"

Haru nodded, a blush of embarrassment spread around her face. Shinji gestured for her to move onto the side with the other guardians before signaling Kazuki to start the program again. The brunette watched in awe as the blonde maneuvered effortlessly and with grace. Not a single hair was out of its place as he completed the simulation in less than 2 minutes. He walked over to the, not even out of breath, and held out his hand to her. She stared at it for a moment before slowly placing her hand into his own, and allowing him to pull her to the center of the room again.

"Don't be nervous, Haru-san, it's always hard the first few times. You should've seen how Kazuki reacted when he had first experienced this type of training." Shinji said, earning an honest smile from the down brunette. "He was absolutely awful in the beginning, but look at him now."

"What is this? Pick on Kazuki day? I'm taking offense even though I know that was supposed to be a compliment." Haru let a giggle escape from her lips, before it turned into full out laughter. Unbeknownst to her, the guardians were exchanging looks of relief and smiled as she continued with her laughing fit. Kazuki pouted at being the butt of the jokes for the next few minutes, earning him a few hugs of sympathy and compassion from the trainee, which he didn't seem to mind too much.

"So, shall we try again, Haru-san?" Shinji asked, gently letting go of her hand, but he still stood beside her. Haru, recovering from laughter, smiled and nodded firmly.

"Hai!"

* * *

So we learn more about the Storm and the Sun guardian while being introduced to the Sky and the Cloud Guardian. We learn that Kazuki, though a flirt, friendly and playful, is pretty strict with training. For the Sun Guardian, we know that he does have a soft and playful side as well, although he doesn't show it as often. Consider him the mother hen, if you will.

Now the Cloud Guardian is quite different from her Cloud counterparts, yes? Unlike them, she is very cheery and upbeat, and loves to tease and play with others. And in this chapter, it is revealed that the Sky and Cloud guardians are siblings. Le gasp. Of course, just because she's his little sister, doesn't mean she gets any special treatment from him. She treats him like how the guardians treat him and vice versa.

The next chapter is set 3 years forward, so don't be surprised at some things. Please look forward to the next update.

Feel free to leave any review, I don't mind constructive criticism but please no flames, thanks!


	4. 3 years

**Disclaimer**: I do not own KHR

**Warnings**: OCs, OOC, slightly inappropriate jokes/comments

**Authoress note**: Ready to meet the last two guardians? Sorry the updates are rather slow. My finals was a few days ago, but I am still uneasy because it will take them a while to release the grades.

**Authoress note 2 (please read)**: Please note, that this chapter take place around _3 years_ after Haru had left her life Namimori and arrived in Venice, Italy.

_Current ages (as of this chapter only): _Haru and Kazuki – 21/22, Rei and Rita – 22/23, Yuki – 24, Takeru – 27, Shinji - 29

**Summary**: They called her useless. So, what happens when a current tutor decided to prove them wrong, by sending her to train with an unknown ally famiglia of the Vongola?

* * *

Shinji winced as he watched the trainee get thrown into a boulder. He could feel the pain run up is spine just from the sound of the impact. Looking away, his amethyst purple colored eyes then connected with Haru's instructor for the next month and a half. Before the blonde even said a word, the Mist guardian straightened herself from the crouched position she was in and dusted off her clothes. Cool, cold emerald green stared intensely at the Vega Decimo. Seconds later, he found himself flat on his back and the brunette instructor kneeling beside him. Shinji let out a groan of pain and glared at the woman.

"You are nothing like your sister at all, Rita, that's all I have to say."

"Shinji-nii, you should've seen that move coming from a mile away." Rita responded, a smirk gracing her lips as she made more playful jabs, "Or is it that you lost your edge over the years since your old?"

"You're a mean little sister."

Haru, having recovered from being tossed, watched as a childish argument erupted from the duo. She had to admit, when the Mist and Rain guardians arrived back from their respective missions a few years ago, they were not pleased to see an unfamiliar face back at their home. Their displeasure grew more immense when Shinji had informed them that they were to train her. Their answer(s)? Well, from the other brunette, a flat and firm 'Hell no' and from a dark haired, brooding male? 'Babysitting is not one of the guardians tasks, if I recall correctly'. Rita is the older twin sister of the friendly Cloud guardian, Rei, and was more willing to help after observing the progress Haru made from her training with the others. Of course, things didn't go as smoothly as planned and Rita had very little patience. Nonetheless, the older brunette did train the younger one and they had become close over the years.

Haru's problem was the Rain Guardian. During her first months of training with him, she literally feared for her life and dreaded every moment she spent with him, and begged the others to join the sessions. He had nearly killed her twice, and both times, another guardian had to step in and stop him. There was one time she'd never forget in her life, one that she'd rather not relive. Yuki, the heartless and ruthless Rain Guardian, had been holding her up by her throat. She was gasping for air was his hand stopped her air flow and threatened to snap her neck easily. Out of the blue, she was dropped flat on her ass and was staring up at her savior. The Sky Guardian. Boy, did he look **pissed**. Much like how Yuki was holding her up moments ago, Shinji held Yuki that way too, the dark haired male being held a few inches off the ground. The fierce and merciless expression on the Vega Decimo's face...cold and heartless. Shinji is known to be a kind hearted and warm person, someone willing to die for his family and closest friends. To see a person like that, with such an expression was frightening.

Shinji, after having dealt with Yuki (settling to give a very stern and lengthy lecture, with a less than interested younger male counterpart being forced to sit in the corner and listen), stopped by her room later that day to make sure she was alright. All the guardians visited, except for the one who caused the trouble. Even the Rita was becoming protective already, threatening to use Yuki's bones as tooth picks. And everyone already knows that they get along like cats and dogs.

"Haru...Haru! Earth to Haru, do you read!?"

"Huh? Wha-" Haru shook her head to snap out of her daze and yelped. She had been spacing out more than she had thought, because the siblings were now in front of her, both with concerned looks on their faces. Feeling guilty that they were worried, Haru let out a nervous laugh, "Sorry, thinking about the years..."

"Yeah, you've come a long way since then, I'm proud~" Rita said, smiling at the youngest occupant of the training room. With a swift move, she put Haru into a weak headlock and gently gave her a noogie "Definitely a lot of improvements made."

"T-Thanks." The younger brunette blushed at the complement, "So, when is the next time?"

"Oh? Addicted to fighting now, are we?" Shinji teased, "Before I forget, for you." He pulled out a crisp white envelop, nothing on it except for the female's name in bold writing. It was clean and had no folded edges or unnecessary marks. Rita had let her out of the headlock and watched Haru accept the letter.

"Who is it from?" Haru asked, inspecting the rectangular shape in her hands. She looked a little terrified to open letters. Kazuki's pranks could get a little too out of hand sometimes. Who mails a letter that 'explodes' into confetti to a mafia famiglia?

"Reborn-san."

"Reborn-san? He was here?" The blonde chuckled at the trainee's expression. Just by his name, her face had lit up with joy. The first year Haru had been with them, the hitman kept in the shadows and didn't want her to notice him. Gradually, he did finally reveal himself and her was more than happy to throw herself at him to give a bear hug. Reborn, who was usually particular about his personal bubble, so it was a surprise he allowed for Haru to give him a hug. Not that Shinji would say it aloud or anything, but the reunion was a very teary one for them all. Since then, Reborn stop by every few weeks or so, only for a couple of hours to visit.

"He just left actually, he was in a rush, but he said for me to give that to you."

Haru just smiled her thanks before opening the letter that was handed to her. Her face lit up even more as she recognized the familiar hand writing from the infamous number one hitman in the world. It made her happy that he took time off to write her a letter. In all the years she has known Reborn, it wasn't his thing to write a letter, as he preferred directly giving a message (if he had time) or sending a messenger (usually Skull, who always complained about being a lacky...which he is). She read the letter quietly to herself. The words that stood out to her the most in the letter were also the most confusing.

The brunette glanced up to see the siblings a little farther away than before, giving her space to privately read the message. Haru smiled and moved over to where they sat.

"Done reading?"

"Yeah, but do you know what Reborn-san means by 'it is time' and 'ceremony'?" Shinji stiffened, something that did not go unnoticed by Haru. She was about to ask him if something was wrong when Rita casually tossed an arm over her shoulders and applied a little pressure, so they both stood hunched over slightly. A playful grin was on the Mist Guardian's face.

"Ne, let's go shop? I wanna buy you a dress for all your hard work~" Shinji looked at his sister with a relieved expression and gave her a thumbs up. The Mist Guardian rolled her eyes and dragged the trainee to her feet. Haru yelped as she stood, not expecting the sudden movement, and covered her ears as Rita shouted, "OI! Rei, Haru wants to go shopping, let's go!"

Haru was about to protest that it was Rita who wanted to go shopping, but before she could, the simulation room doors slammed open, and the two females were forcibly dragged out by a very hyper shopaholic who goes by the name of Rei.

"Oh, goody, I haven't gone shopping in a long, long time. Nii-san, we'll be back before dark!" Rei called out, and Shinji just sighed at her excitement and pulled out his phone.

_'Be back after 5 o' clock but before 7 o' clock, that's when the party will start.'_

[Message sent]

* * *

It had been an hours since Haru sighed tiredly and was more than glad to plop down into the soft, leather couch of the salon they were currently at. The twins had basically went to every single store in Venice. Why? They wanted to find her a perfect dress that will compliment her well. It was then that Haru reminded them that they should buy themselves something nice too. Alas, the trainee's plan to distract the Mist and Cloud Guardians of Vega did not work as planned and the time spent in each store was longer. Now, both were getting their hair done up. Haru was after them, the salon was practically overflowing with customers and not enough staff.

"Why are we doing all of this again?" Haru asked, looking at Rei, who was awake.

"Because we can, silly girl. And look at us, after all the training and pain we've been through, I think all of us deserves this treat, right?" Rei replied, winking at the trainee. "Is it done yet, Monica?"

"Yes, yes. Beautiful as ever! Gorgeous!" Monica chirped. Rei stood from the spot and gestured for the younger brunette to sit. When Haru refused to move from her comfortable position on the leather sofa of the waiting room, the Vega Cloud guardian easily scooped her in her arms (much to Haru's chagrin and Rita's amusement) and placed her in the seat. "What can I do for this other beautiful girl?"

"I'm all set, thank you-"

"Whichever style you believe is best for her, Monica. After all, you have the keenest of hair sense, which is why I always ask for you." Rei smiled, ignoring the younger female.

"Oh, Rei, you flatter me. Well, since her hair is rather short, there isn't much I can work with...Oh! How about I give you soft waves and touch up that cute fringe of yours. And maybe a few highlights here and there, yes? I won't make the changes too noticeable though."

"That's a good idea. She has more of a natural look appeal, in my opinion. So its best if it stays natural. Oh, I was going to ask you, Monica, do you think Francisco is available today?" Rita said from her seat, flipping through a magazine.

"Frankie? I believe he is booked for most of the week. But I think he can squeeze you guys, if I put in a call. When do you need him to do your make-up?"

"Before 7 o' clock...today." Haru gave Rita a look, one that shouted out with question about the time, but as usual, the Mist Guardian ignored her.

"Ouch. That is going to be difficult, darling. You know Frankie prefers to have at least two days advanced reservations for his services." Monica said, looking at the trio. "But, since you ladies are the regulars and technically did save his hide more than once, I'm sure he won't mind too much."

"Thanks, Monnie, you're the best~" Rei smiled, earning a grin from the hair stylist.

…

After spending most of her day being tortured, Haru has had enough. First, the endless shopping spree they went on. Yes, she loves shopping like every other girl, but she never knew that Rita had such a weakness for clothes. Haru just picked out a simple black dress, no designs whatsoever. It was clean and not too low cut. Then there was the hair salon. Monica was nice and all, but there was a couple of times of discomfort whenever the stylist would accidentally tug her hair, or tease it too roughly. And after the hair salon, they rushed to meet a man named 'Francisco' who did their make up. For a guy, he was quite skilled in the arts. The problem was that his services were rather expensive. Of course, they twins took care of paying for everything, and that made Haru feel guilty. Rei reassured her that it was nothing to worry about, as it was a reward for her hard work.

"Are we done yet?" Haru whined.

"No, no we are not. There is still one more place to go. You can just wait in the car with Rita, and I will pick it up." Rei said, unbuckling her seatbelt. "Wait here!"

Moments later, she came back, empty handed and smiling. Haru gave her a look, and Rei just continued to smile.

"I put it in the back. Its a surprise after all. Now, we can head back because it is a little past 6:10."

* * *

"Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you all for attending this event for this evening and taking time off of your busy schedules. I have gathered you all here today, in order to celebrate a wonderful occasion amongst my famiglia-"

Haru sat with the Vega guardians as they listened to their boss make his speech. She wasn't really surprised that he was barely shaking. He must have given speeches a lot since he is a boss. Unlike him, Haru would have stuttered and been all over the place. And it was more likely for her to faint on stage and want to melt into puddle form. He kept looking at her direction every now and then, and that spiked her interest. The guests also seemed to be looking at her as well, most likely wondering why she was with the guardians of Vega.

Majority of the guests actually knew of the mafia world, and were either a) supporters, b) influences, or c) a part of the mafia themselves. Most likely the second and third choices. Haru had seen some of them before, coming in and out of the Vega headquarters, but she never really paid any special attention to them. She never felt like she should anyways.

"I've known her for the past 3 years now, and I can honestly say that she has made a remarkable improvement in such a short amount of time. When she had first come here, I had to admit, I was surprised. Reborn spoke highly of her, and I thought that she would've had some skill to her name. I was wrong about that. She knew nothing of fighting at all, but she knew how to use a box weapon."

_'He was talking about me? Why? That explains why everyone was looking back and forth...I guess. Meh, I might as well pay attention now or risk looking like an idiot in front of everyone.' _Haru thought to herself

"As of now, I admit, her skills have vastly improved. She is now able to keep up with some of the other guardians, although, maybe just a few levels below them in some areas. So, my old acquaintances and colleagues, please warmly welcome the special guest of the evening, Miss Haru Miura."

The loud sounds of clapping made me go deaf for a short time. The brunette was stunned, and didn't expect to be called onto stage. She was so shocked by the announcement, she couldn't feel her legs, no, she was too nervous to even say anything. All eyes were on her. Encouraging ones from her friends in the Vega, curious and anxious ones in the crowds. Haru opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out but a squeak. Shinji just smiled and nodded toward someone behind her. She didn't even need to turn around, because she could feel his presence. His hand rested on her shoulder, and guided her from her seat to the stage. It felt like a rather long walk was ahead of them before they even made it to Shinji, and that's when she glanced at the fedora wearing man next to her.

"By the way, Haru, you look lovely tonight."

"Reborn-san,...what is this all about?" Haru asked.

"You'll see, Haru, you don't need to ask me about it." Reborn said, gently moving her through the crowd with ease. "Will you be alright up there by yourself? Or would you prefer me to stay there on the side?"

"I-If its alright with you...could you stay with me on stage?"

"Very well then."

Shinji offered his hand to the brunette, which she accepted, and nodded toward the most powerful hitman. Reborn returned the gestured and stood off to the side of the stage, hidden.

"Haru Miura, everybody. Please give her a warm welcome." The applause died down soon enough, and Haru could swear the change of mood turned serious within mere seconds. She felt the guardian's eyes linger on her before returning to their leader. And their boss had his sights focused solely on her. Taking a deep breath and closing and opening his eyes, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. Haru was stunned, as the crest on said box was not to be mistaken. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes, and she covered her mouth with a hand.

"Haru Miura, would you do us the honor, and become our-"

.

.

.

* * *

I am so, so sorry for making you guys wait for such a long time. I feel terrible. I had written this chapter a long time ago, but never felt quite satisfied. I still don't feel satisfied with it, but I don't want to make you guys wait any longer. I'll upload a better revised one later on sometime this or next week. Again, I apologize for making you guys wait. I don't believe that I even mentioned their ages...only a couple of them, and so, I listed their ages above in the second authoress note.

Anyways, the next chapter takes place another 2 years after this one, and it will be taking place in Namimori. Now we get to see the original cast of KHR, and maybe, they might run into a certain brunette.


	5. Greetings and Reunions

******Disclaimer**: I do not own KHR

******Warnings**: OCs, OOC, slightly inappropriate jokes/comments

******Authoress note**: Please note, that this chapter take place around 2_years_ after the last chapter, which would mean it has been 5 years since Haru left Namimori.

___Current ages (as of now): _Haru and Kazuki – 24, Rei and Rita – 25, Yuki – 27, Takeru – 29, Shinji – 32

**Authoress note 2**: Wow, that was fast, right? To make up for making some of you wait so long for an update all those months ago, I decided to work on this one. I hope thats alright with you all. Oh~ And Thank you guys so much for the reviews, favorites and alerts :)

******Summary**: They called her useless. So, what happens when a current tutor decided to prove them wrong, by sending her to train with an unknown ally famiglia of the Vongola?

* * *

A brown haired man sighed and ran a hand through his disheveled locks. His dark brown eyes lingered on the little key chain that hung off of a figurine situated on the corner of his desk. The male reached for the keychain, taking it from its holding place and held it up to the light of the office. It was a small, supposedly monstrous, looking dinosaur. From the stitching and the carefully chosen fabric, it was handmade as well. And the male wondered how long it had taken her to finish making the item.

And he couldn't help but recall the hurtful things he had said regarding the object dangling in his hands and frowned.

…

_"Haru...what is this thing?" He asked, holding it up and staring at it with mild confusion. Why was she giving this to him in the first place?_

_"Haru made it for Tsuna-san! Its a key chain with Namahage attached to it. Isn't it cute?"_

_"Thanks, Haru, but I don't think I'll be putting this with my keychain. People might start thinking that I am weird or something." He had tried to hand it back to her, but she just shook her head. He raised a brow, "Is something the matter?"_

_"I-It's nothing, Tsuna-san."_

_It was his own fault for not noticing the hurt expression that she had on her face._

…

5 years.

It has been 5 years since Haru went missing. Gone. Vanished without a single trace.

…

_"What do you mean she's gone?"_

_"As in gone, jyuudaime. I went to get her from her room, like you requested, and most of her belongings are gone."_

_"Maybe she went home for the weekend and forgot to tell anyone."_

_"I don't think thats the case, jyuudaime. The baseball idiot and turf head already checked her house. She wasn't home. And even her room there was entirely empty, devoid of everything. Her dad said that she just up and left in the middle of the night."_

_"Haru can't be gone. She was just here yesterday morning..."_

…

Reborn had told him that she wasn't in any danger, that she was with an ally famiglia. And he believed his tutor. A week had passed and Haru had not even bothered to contact anyone. Something felt suspicious and not right, so he spent majority of his days calling allies and friends and asking if the brunette was with them. He could recall everything, all the conversations. The worried voices of friends, and some angry voices too.

…

_"Dino-san, is Haru there with you?"_

_"Haru? No. Sorry, Tsuna, but she isn't with me."_

...

_"Is Haru there with you, Enma?"_

_"No, why? D-Did something happen, Tsuna?"_

...

_"Shamal...please tell me that Haru is with you..."_

_"Haru-chan? Did you do something to upset her again? Sorry to say this, but I haven't seen her and nor is she with me."_

...

_"VOII!"_

_"Squalo, Haru isn't here...is she there with the Varia?"_

_"WHAT DID YOU DO THIS TIME!"_

_"Ushishishi, it seems like she ran away~"_

_"Oh my, is Haru-chan missing? Tsunayoshi-kun, what happened?"_

…

All of the answers he received were exactly the same. None of them have either seen or had Haru with them. When he had called the Varia, they seemed somewhat miffed. It was then that he questioned when the brunette female had gotten close to the cold hearted assassins. He sought out his tutor, and questioned him about his lie and much to his chagrin, the hit man was unfazed by the threats. Instead the hit man merely told the younger man, 'This is what you wanted, wasn't it?'

No. No, it wasn't. He didn't want one of his friends to disappear from his life.

"Juudaime, you're going to work yourself to death at this point if you don't take a break."

"Its fine, Gokudera-kun, after all, the papers don't sign themselves."

"When was the last time you ate?"

No response.

"Juudaime."

Again, no response. And that caused the Storm Guardian to slam his hands onto the mahogany desk that laid before the Sky Guardian. It seemed to have snapped the brown haired male into reality and he looked at Gokudera in shock.

"It isn't your fault, juudaime."

Tsuna let out a bitter chuckle and shook his head at his right hand man's words. _Lies. Utter lies_. The man on the seat was about to speak again, but the sound of the doors of the office slamming open had caught his attention. The look of urgency was noticeable on the lower ranking member's face.

"Boss! We have received information regarding an important matter! And it must be dealt with immediately!"

* * *

"Its been a while, but, I'm finally back." Haru muttered, her two rolling luggage bags in hand while the rest of her belongings were being unloaded from the back of a moving truck.

That statement came out sadder than she had expected. Namimori was her home town, and yet, it felt so empty and dull. Maybe it was because the Vega Guardians have yet to arrive. She had grown rather attached to all of them. Unfortunately, due to a flight schedule mix up, Haru was the only one that was able to board. They reassured her, however, that they'd be on the next flight to Namimori as soon as possible (more like Rita was threatening the poor airport workers into allowing them onto the next flight). Haru could only laugh at the fond memory of the Storm and Sky guardians trying to pry an enraged Mist guardian away from frightened workers while the Cloud, Sun and Rain guardians were enjoying the spectacle. It was even more comical (although some of the blows did look painful) when the female had landed a few hits on her fellow comrades, who complained about being attacked by a brutish woman. The trio, plus herself, was then promptly scolded by their boss for not helping calm Rita. It was hard to take him seriously when he was holding a piece of frozen steak to his eye (where he even found a piece of frozen steak in the airport, she will never know).

The hit man who sent her to live with the Vega, Reborn, had left Venice before she had. He said he had unfinished business in Sicily before he would head back to Namimori.

Shinji had mentioned that they have a rather cozy home that was located near the shopping district. And he had written the address on a piece of paper for her to give the movers. So, that was now where Haru stood, in front of the house that she had seen in photos. In all honesty, Haru believed that the pictures of the home did not do it any justice. She took the time to look over the house from the outside.

It was a decent family sized home, most likely for a family of either 4 or 5 people. The body of the house was painted a light crème color and the roof tiles were a dark, rich shade of brick red. The fence was solid and likely to keep intruders and other pests off the property. Inside the fenced property, hidden behind the solid wall fence, was two small gardens on either side of the entrance, a bird bath, a hammock and a metallic park bench. In the back, was an in-ground pool that was built for 5 to 6 people and a jacuzzi. There was also a grill located near the shed in the corner of the fenced area.

Haru decided to finally check the inside of the humble abode and nodded. Those pictures definitely did not capture the warmth and comfort of the home. On the ground floor was a spacious living room, a decent sized kitchen, a lovely living room, a full sized bathroom and a bedroom. In each of these rooms, there was three paintings that adorned a single wall, the exception of the bathroom. From the little signatures on the bottom of each canvas, Haru suspected that the famiglia was the type to enjoy painting. It was more than clear who the owner of the room is, as there was a picture of him and his younger sisters on the nightstand. Figures, as the main points of entry are on the ground floor, and the boss would rather die than to let anything happen to them under his watch.

On the second floor was 4 bedrooms, hallway closet and a full sized bathroom. Haru knew that the twins obviously shared a room, so their room was a little bit bigger compared to the others since it had to fit two beds. She also knew that Yuki dislikes sharing anything (there are only a couple of exceptions) so he would get a room to himself. One of the rooms was completely empty and Haru could only guess that it was for her. The last room on the floor was Kazuki's. She knew because everything was organized and arranged the way the Storm guardian prefers.

In the basement there was a mini office, a sixth bedroom, and a second living room which seemed to be serving doubly as a game room. The last room belonged to the Sun guardian and the right hand man of the Vega Decimo. Haru doesn't even know why he'd pick the room in the basement out of all the possible rooms there was to choose from in the first place.

"Seem like a rather comfortable home to live in." Haru commented, taking a seat on the living room sofa. She reached over to the coffee table and decided to turn on the tv. It had taken her a while but she finally settled down in her seat and began o relax. Some time ago, she also let out her box animal, who was also lounging on the sofa with her. She glanced at the clock and sighed. "But...its a little lonely here without the others yet."

"Maybe it would be best if I just wandered around instead. The others should be arriving in a couple more hours."

…

A lot of things had changed since she left, the brunette noted.

"It's closed now? What a shame..."

The ice cream shop she used to take Lambo and I-Pin to had gone out of business. When they had gone there, business was booming because the two young children often spoke highly about the place to strangers with children. Haru smiled as she recalled a memory of having to pull a teary eyed Lambo away from the ice cream shop as she was almost out of money. Lambo and I-Pin had drained her wallet dry. The brunette couldn't help but feel saddened as she glanced through the dusty window and looked at the equally dusty floor and furniture.

The store where she often bought her fabric from moved across town to a bigger location. It was there that she became friends with the shop owner's grandson who was reluctant to take over. Two days before she left Namimori, the owner passed away and she comforted the teen. They spent the entire afternoon and evening just talking about his grandmother and the future plans for the shop. Haru was glad that the grandson had kept the promise and kept the shop running.

"I think I'll go and visit him for old time sake."

Ramps, the local skate park for all those punks and rebellious teens, seemed to be in worse off shape than when Haru had last seen it. It didn't look safe at all to skate there anymore, which would explain the lack of teens. Haru remembered going there once, with a reluctant Storm guardian, because she was curious about how he spent his free time. She had implied a few things about the male and he was so flustered and decided to prove he didn't swing that way.

"Hehe. Stupid-dera was so defensive..."

The old park just south of Midori Jr. High was being torn down and having a mini mall constructed, which should be done by the end of next year. That park was where she had her first ever picnic with the entire Vongola, even the crowd hating Hibari was there. She remembered the time that cute little Lambo accidentally tripped and food went flying onto the skylark's face. Boy, was that man **pissed**. Luckily, he didn't take his anger out on the Lightening guardian and settled for the closest guardian nearest to him...which happened to be Tsuna. Following that, chaos took place and food was sent in every which way.

"And that was when the good ol' fun days ended..." Haru muttered, reaching up and brushing away the tears that were rolling down her cheeks without her knowing. She smiled sadly, "Stupid memories..."

* * *

"Shit, where are they?"

Tsuna paused in his tracks and glanced around warily. He had received word that an unknown group of people had just arrived in Namimori and from what his sources had told them, they were also part of the mafia. He had ordered for Gokudera to gather the other guardians and be on guard for any suspicious or unfamiliar characters that were lingering around. But the Storm guardian had already left before his Boss could tell him **not** to engage in combat until they know if the newcomers are allies or enemies. If they were to attack first, then of course, the unknown people who see them as a threat and retaliate with force. To top it off, Reborn wasn't there to help handle the situation if it takes a turn for the worse. He was about to let another swear slip from his lips when his phone began to vibrate in his pocket.

"Boss..."

"What is it, Chrome?"

"I believe I see something...that we haven't seen in Namimori for a while...should I-"

"Chrome, do not start a fight. Wait for us to get there, alright?" Heh. Telling Chrome not to start a fight. She isn't one to start a fight.

"B-But boss...she isn't-"

He didn't pay attention to what was being said, he was focused on getting to Chrome's current location and messaged everyone else to do so. They had regrouped in the center of the town and were about to go to Chrome when a group of people caught their eye. Before Tsuna even had the chance to speak, Gokudera had already whipped out lit dynamites and chucked toward the unsuspecting people.

At least, they looked like they were not expecting to be attacked. The second the dynamite got too close to them, one of the females instinctively reached out and easily grabbed the stick with such quick reflex, one would've missed it if they blinked. The explosive was then thrown in the air and a male of the group pulled out a gun with lightening speed and shot at the target, hitting it with ease and causing it to explode while in the air. Tsuna would've been impressed if it weren't for the killer aura that was now surrounding the people that Gokudera had thrown the dynamite to.

He was right, they know see them as a threat. Not. Good.

"So this is how they greet guests here in Namimori? How rude." The short haired female, who had been the one to catch the explosive, snapped. Her eyes were narrowed and her body tensed in a semi-defensive position. No doubt that she was ready to fight if a brawl were to start. Never in his life had Tsuna seen a woman that was so ready to fight...aside from Lal Mirch, Bianchi and Adelheid. "What if I teach you men proper manners."

"Shut it woman! Who the hell do you believe you all are, walking around here as if it were your home."

"Gokudera!" Tsuna said, raising an arm to cease the Storm Guardian, who pulled out another set of weapons and held them readily in his hands. "Who are you people?"

"Tut, tut. One so young should show respect to his seniors. Apparently, Reborn-san needs to tutor you and your men even more if you don't know that it is common courtesy to introduce yourself first before asking the name of strangers." This time, it was the second female who spoke. "And I don't take too kindly when arrogant men talk so rudely to my sister." Her eyes were glinting dangerously and she licked her lips with the anticipation of an upcoming fight. He watched as her hand slowly reached for her choice weapon when another hand had immediately grabbed her own. A scowl was plastered onto her face and she glared at the man who dared to stop her.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi, The Vongola Decimo and Sky Guardian. Gokudera Hayato, Storm Guardian and right hand man of the Decimo. Yamamoto Takeshi, The Rain Guardian and master swordsman of the Vongola. Rokudo Mukuro, The Mist Guardian and genius illusionist. Lambo, The Lightening Guardian and the youngest of the seven. Sasagawa Ryohei, The Sun Guardian and martial arts expert. Lastly, Hibari Kyoya, The Cloud Guardian and the strongest." The male spoke as if he were reciting something that was written off a piece of paper. And that irked the Vongola guardians some. "Not as single family has never heard your names. Its frightening, the amount of power you hold over the lesser famiglias."

Tsuna tensed and felt his blood boil at what had been implied. He identified who he believed to be the boss of the famiglia that was travelling so casually in Namimori and glared. The man wasn't doing anything to stop his guardians from verbally insulting them. Instead, the blonde seemed to be looking around for something and left his guardians to their own devices. To let his guard down easily in front of a famiglia who just attacked them...how cocky can the man be? If there was one thing that Reborn had repeatedly drilled into his head, it was to never let your guard down and to strike when the opponents were dumb enough to lower their defenses. Without so much as even a warning, he flew swiftly toward the blonde, fist pulled back and ready to strike. But he barely managed to even cross the middle of the street when his clenched fist struck against something that felt cold and metallic.

A jolt of electricity ran up his arm and he flinched slightly but had yet to pull back. His own guardians seemed to be in shock and haven't said anything in a while. Tsuna narrowed his eyes.

"Sorry I'm late boss, I ran into an old friend a few blocks down from here. We lost track of time talking to each other."

His ears perked at the sound of the voice.

"That's fine. I hope that it was a pleasant talk with no hostility towards the other." The man he suspected to be the boss asked. The figure nodded and grunted lightly as she pushed back the Vongola Decimo. When he didn't budge, another more powerful wave of electricity shot through his arm. Tsuna pulled away from the small figure, who was still shrouded in dirt that was kicked up from when he flew. Slowly, it began to fan away and the Vongola Decimo couldn't stop his mouth from dropping in shock.

"Vega Lightening Guardian, at your service."

.

.

.

.

"H-Haru?"

.

.

.

"Its been a while, hasn't it, Tsuna-san?"

.

.

.

* * *

YAY! Its been revealed that Haru was asked to be the next Lightening guardian of the Vega :D And who would've thought that it was the Vega that the Vongola first came across and not Haru? If you were all wondering, Chrome had spotted Haru first and that's why they were not there at the scene of the fight until the last moment. They were merely chatting and the explosions and spikes of flames caught their attention so they went to find their respective famiglias~.

Thank you guys for taking the time to read the story :) Feel free to write a reviewvand give constructive criticism, but no flames please~


	6. Vongola HQ

**Disclaimer**: I don't own KHR, sadly :(

**Authoress note**: Some of questions shall be answered during this chapter and the next ;)

**Authoress note 2**: Has anyone else read the latest Fairy Tail chapter? I'm not going to spoil what happened, but I will say I almost cried.

**Warnings**: OCs, OOC, language use/swearing

******Summary**: They called her useless. So, what happens when a current tutor decided to prove them wrong, by sending her to train with an unknown ally famiglia of the Vongola?

* * *

Lightening Guardian?

Vega?

Just what the hell was going on in Namimori!?

"You seem confused, Vongola Decimo."

Tsuna turned his attention to the blonde male, who stalked up behind the brunette and casually tossed an arm over her shoulder. Judging by the way Haru had started to slouch over, the male was barely supporting any of his own weight and had used the brunette as a support stand. She was grumbling something about a 'stupid lazy leader who doesn't understand the concept of personal space' and nudged the older male slightly away. When the man refused to stop invading her personal bubble, the long haired female, who had been ready to brawl, tugged the man by his collar and away from Haru. The Vongola Decimo then watched as the female straightened out the blonde and smack him upside the head before retreating to stand with her sister. The blonde haired male didn't seem to mind the rough treatment and glanced down at Tsuna with playful amethyst purple eyes.

"Please allow me to explain but in a more private setting if you will allow. This matter at hand is not for all ears to hear."

"You never answered my question, so why should I allow you to view our headquarters if we don't even know if you are enemies or allies." Tsuna said, carefully looking over each and every member of the 'Vega'.

"We are most definitely allies, through association with Reborn and our famiglias past history. Though, I must add this; we aren't exactly the type of people you would want to make enemies out of, Decimo." That was a threat. An underlying threat. His famiglia seemed oblivious to the hostility behind the man's words, but Tsuna wasn't. It was at times like these that he was thankful for his Hyper Intuition. With it he knew that this person in front of him was telling the truth of the alliance. At the same time, the promised threat was also true. "As I have said, it would be best if we speak of the important matters in a more secure area rather than out in the open."

"Very well then, we shall be heading back to the headquarters for further discussion. And why you and the Vega are here." Tsuna replied, gesturing for his own famiglia to follow closely.

"Juudaime...are you sure?"

"Its fine Gokudera-kun. My intuition tells me that we can trust them."

"How can you be so sure?'

"If Reborn can trust them, then so can we." was the response of the Vongola Decimo before the large group of people headed toward the base of the Vongola. "Everyone, we are returning back to headquarters."

* * *

"HARU-CHAN! You're alive!"

"Kyoko!"

The brunette was momentarily caught off guard as a familiar strawberry blonde haired woman threw herself into her arms. Haru was speechless for a few seconds before returning the gesture and hugging her friend back. Right off the bat, they clicked like before and began to chat away in the corner of the room. Shinji merely smiled at Haru and Kyoko and followed Tsuna to the coffee table in the middle of the room. When both had sat down, they were approached by a woman wearing goggles who appeared to be serving them snacks and drinks.

"Thank you for the cup of coffee, Bianchi."

"It is no problem at all, Shinji-san."

"Bianchi...you know this man?" Tsuna asked. He glanced at their cups of 'coffee' and cringed. It looked nothing at all like coffee. The Vongola Decimo was pretty sure that coffee was not purple, did not bubble and did not eyeballs of an unknown creature floating around. Did that thing just wink at him? The brunette man looked up and watched as the man across of him drink the clearly not coffee liquid, and let out a refreshed 'Ahh~'. He suppressed the urge to cough up whatever he had for breakfast.

"Of course, he is one of my beloved's friends." The poison scorpion stated, setting down a small meal for them to eat while they talked. "Lunch will be served shortly after, so please take your time eating."

Tsuna and his guardians watched as Shinji picked up a triangular cut piece of sandwich and brought it to his lips before taking a small bite of the food. He was pretty sure that all the guardians jumped back a few feet, with the exception of a select few, after seeing what looked like a tentacle squirm its way out of the bread and plop onto the plate. Yes, this man in front of him surely was brave to be eating Bianchi's cooking. It was either that or the man was suicidal. Shinji finally noticed the younger man staring and smiled, wiping his mouth with the provided napkins and took a sip of the drink.

"I don't believe that I have introduced you to my guardians. We know quite a bit about your famiglia, the Vongola, through Reborn-san. He has talked about you often and how much you have grown from a weak, wimpy and whiny child to a full fledged mafia boss."

Tsuna wanted to smack his head onto the table at the moment. Leave it to his tutor to tell embarrassing stories and call him names. It was also apparent that the man was not normal because he has yet to double over with stomach pain.

"Without further delay, I will introduce them. It would be best if your guardians try not to provoke them this time, hm?"

"I can assure you, Shinji-san, that they won't be a bother during this time." Tsuna replied.

"Very well then. This is my right hand man and Sun guardian, Takeru. That young man over there is the youngest of my guardians and my Storm guardian, Kazuki. The last man that is stand away from us is my Rain guardian and my strongest guardian, Yuki. Now, these ladies are also part of my guardians. You all know Haru, so I needn't introduce her to you." The blonde paused before continuing, "These two ladies over here are my younger sisters, fraternal twins. The one with short hair is my Mist guardian and the eldest of the two, Rita. The one with long hair is my Cloud guardian and the youngest of the two, Rei."

"You three...are siblings?"

"See, can't you see the family resemblance?" Shinji asked.

No.

"Why would you let your younger sisters become your guardians?" Ryohei asked, looking somewhat bothered. One would figure that the Vongola Sun guardian would say that, as he has a little sister of his own. He would rather lose a fight than have his baby sister involved in the mafia, on the front lines. "That is **extreme****ly** wrong!"

"We've been training most of our life in order to serve Shinji-nii. We are more than prepared to fight and die for him in battle." Rita replied, clearly annoyed and glaring at the white haired man. "Don't mistake us to be weak just because we are women."

"Now, now, cute little imouto~, I'm sure he didn't mean anything by that." Shinji said, calming the easy to anger Mist guardian. "I can assure you, Ryohei-san, I always make sure that the missions assigned to my little sisters are ones that don't usually put them in grave danger."

"The introductions are out of the way. What purpose have you come here for?" Tsuna asked.

"Bianchi, has either Reborn-san or Dino-san arrived yet?" Takeru asked, his hand gently stroking the fur of his dog who chose to sit in his lap.

"Dino-san had just called minutes before you came here. He and my love are at the Namimori International Airport right now. They should be here within 20 minutes."

"Good. It will be easier to explain when they are here. I hope you don't mind Decimo, but could we hold off the meeting until they arrive. They both will have crucial information regarding the matter I would like to talk to you about."

"I suppose that is fine. I believe this would be the best time to allow Kyoko-chan and Haru to catch up. In the meantime, perhaps you and your guardians would like a tour of headquarters."

* * *

Haru had noticed the large group of guardians leaving the area. She caught Kazuki's gaze and he gave her a mock salute before disappearing through the entry way again. Shortly after, the brunette let out a soft chuckle, something that did not go unnoticed by Kyoko. The strawberry blonde smiled gently and tapped the wooden table in front of her in order to get her friend's attention back. It worked as Haru returned her gaze to the civilian member of the Vongola.

"You and Kazuki seem pretty close."

"He and I are the same age. He gets annoyed whenever he is reminded that he is the youngest of us all." Haru replied, "He was the first of the Vega to meet me, so I guess we kinda have a strong bond."

"I see. That must be nice. You trust him a lot, don't you?"

"Yes. Yes, I do. I trust him with my life, in fact. The same goes for him as well. After all, he and I are often partners on mis-"

"Haru, can I ask something? I hope you won't get offended because this question is rather personal." Haru was silent and Kyoko took it as the answer to proceed. The strawberry blonde leaned forward a little bit, her chin resting up on her intertwined fingers and elbows propped against the table. A serious expression on her face. "Why did you leave?"

Silence.

"Why did you leave, Haru? Do you know what you've done to our family?" Kyoko snapped, her voice growing more cold and harsher by the second, "I will tell you, Haru. Everyone, especially Tsu-kun, was devastated. Lambo wouldn't eat but Fuuta managed to convince him to. I-Pin couldn't focus on her school work. Chrome-chan didn't speak for **three** weeks. Bianchi kept giving everyone her 'poison cooking'. Gokudera started smoking even more now. Yamamoto tried to act like he was okay, but everyone could see he was hurt. He considered you like a little sister, you know. Nii-san was the exact same way. I'm not quite sure about Hibari or Mukuro. And Tsu-kun...was really depressed."

_Depressed?_

"Depressed?" Haru asked quietly, her voice so soft one would have to strain their ears to hear her.

"He wouldn't leave his room for _nearly_ a month. He just gave orders from his room or through Gokudera. When he finally left his room, he was pale and skinny, oh god, he was really pale and skinny, Haru. He looked so unhealthy and ready to collapse at any given moment. He spent a few days in the infirmary until Reborn-san came by and deemed him well enough. Our relationship at the time,...it fell through. We were never able to pick it up after..."

"I'm sorry that I caused you troubles in your relationships and in this famiglia, Kyoko, but I have my reasons for leaving then and returning now."

"Is that so, Haru, care to explain to me then?" The brunette could sense the conversation's mood changing from feather light to heavy hearted in seconds. Tension so thick that one could easily cut into it with a butter knife. The current look on the other female's face was clear sign that she was not going to let her off with just one simple answer to her question. And the question was was cold as ice.

"Do you even know why I left in the first place? Of course you don't, because if you did, you wouldn't be butting your nose where it doesn't belong" Haru hissed out, her eyes narrowing at the woman who glared back. "I'll tell you anyways though, _Kyoko-chan_. I wasn't needed here. Why stay in a place where I wasn't needed when I can be somewhere else helping others? You all only noticed how much I meant to you **after** I left. Why not before, hm?"

It was Kyoko's turn to keep her silence. But the angry expression never left her face.

"Reborn-san found the Vega for me. I came to them, and they accepted me, flaws and all. They provided to warmth and comfort I wanted. Tell me, do you know how much it hurts to hear your friends, your _family_, talk behind your back? It _**fucking**_ hurts. Its like being stabbed thousands of times, Kyoko, over and over and over again. All those nights I spent, remembering what was said about me, what everyone said. The Vega have been my support, my wall, my strength, everything I needed. They treat me like family."

Haru stood from her seat, turning away from the strawberry blonde and making her way through the familiar halls. She could tell, even without looking back, that Kyoko was undoubtably glaring at her. The brunette stopped in her tracks and turned around, her own glare intensifying.

"I'm not the same girl I was when I left here, Kyoko. It wouldn't be wise to provoke me or my famiglia."

It was so sad that what started as a friendly, fluffy and sweet conversation had ended with such a bitter taste. Those were the last words exchanged, and Haru set off to find her famiglia.

* * *

Shinji stood there, leaning against the wall of the training room with his arms crossed over his chest and a serious look on his face by the time Haru had come in. They both watched as two people clashed once...twice before they backed away. Swing after swing and blow after blow, the opponents were evenly matched. Haru had seen Kazuki fight before (well, they **are** partners, after all), but never had she seen such a serious expression on his normally calm face. The playfulness that usually lingered in his eyes were gone and replaced with a much darker emotion. Annoyance...Hatred for the one that he was currently fighting...

His Vongola counterpart.

"Shin-nii? What's going on?"

Over the years, Haru had grown attached to the Vega guardians, so she didn't struggle quite as much to call them by their nicknames. Boss had turned into Shin-nii, Kazuki had turned to Kazu (or Zuzu, just to irritate him), and Rita turned into Ri-chan.

"We're still waiting for Reborn-san and Dino-san. They're caught in traffic." Shinji replied, placing a hand on her head and playfully ruffling her hair. After he had finished, the short brunette frowned cutely and fixed her hair, "So we decided to pass some time, to spar for kicks and giggles."

"For kicks and giggles my ass, those hits look like they really hurt!" Rita said, "OI! You moron! Pay more attention! Don't let that asshat get the upper hand!" She didn't even flinch when Shinji lightly hit her upside the head for swearing. She just 'lightly' hit him back. Haru could already see a future bruise forming on his arm from the amount of force she used.

That was when she had noticed that the guardians were all separated. The Vongola and the Vega. Neither of them made a move to even speak to each other. They just stood there by their respective Boss' side and didn't move muscle. Haru couldn't fell any tension or aggression from either side (aside from the two currently 'sparring'), just...awkwardness. No one knew how to strike up a conversation or even begin to speak.

Rei was fidgeting nervously under the gaze of her Vongola counterpart. Hibari didn't seem too pleased that someone 'spineless' and feminine was his counterpart. Rei, by all means, is not spineless, although that is a fact unknown by the Vongola Cloud guardian and the male's glare intensifyed every second.

Rita also noticed that Mukuro kept glancing at her every now and then. It wasn't that he was interested in her, per se, it was more like he was curious what the Vega Mist Guardian is capable of. He looked like he really wanted to test her illusions. Chrome, on the other hand, seemed like she was zoning out and wasn't paying any attention to what was going on.

Yuki was scowling at Yamamoto, who was smiling at him. If there was one thing that the Vega Rain Guardian hated the most, it was when people stare at him and then smile pointlessly. It gave him the creeps and made him feel as if he had a severe case of hives.

Takeru didn't seem effected at all by Ryohei's staring.

Shinji and Tsuna were busy keeping an eye on their respective storm guardians so that they don't 'accidentally' kill each other. And Lambo?

Eh? Where'd he go? He was just right beside Ryohei...

"Haru-nee!"

"Oof!"

Haru groaned lightly in pain as her back hit the ground. She glanced down and noticed a rather tall teen resting on her, arms around her waist and the figure not even moving. From the cow print on the collar of his shirt, she could tell it was Lambo and he had given her one of his infamous 'flying hugs'. Unfortunately, she hadn't been expecting that and lost her balance when he threw himself at her. Haru looked up to see the rest of the guardians staring at them and the brunette quickly tried to stand to her feet, which was near impossible when there was someone laying directly on top of her. Much to her chagrin, the male didn't move an inch and she gave up trying to stand.

"Lambo! I missed you too, but that really hurt." Haru playfully messed with his hair, and giggled as he complained lightly.

"Haru-nee, it takes me two hours to get my hair like this. The girls seem to like it this way."

"Oh, a ladies man now are you? I hope that you're treating them with respect and care."

"Lambo, get off of Haru, you're not 5 years old any more. She can't carry you around like she used to." Tsuna scolded, earning a sheepish grin from the only teen in the room. The dark haired teen scratched the back of his head innocently. The cow print wearing teen apologized to the female he tackled/hugged and she just returned his apology with a smile.

"I see that we are all here." Two fimilar figures walked into the room, each with a serious expression on their faces.

"Dino-san, Reborn"

"There is no time to waste. We need to discuss something important, and something that will and can effect us all." Dino sounded oddly serious at the moment. Normally, he would be the one to try an lighten the mood. But today, it did't seem like that would be the case. He herded them all in the most confidential and secure rooms of the base before he promptly locked the door, after making sure that no one was around to listen in on their conversation.

"Dino is right. Time is very crucial to us as of the moment. We already informed all of our comrades and allies, and they are fully aware of the current situation." Reborn said, looking at each and every one of the occupants. He then turned his attention to his senior pupil and gestured for him to start up the presentation. "If we get this done right, then we can settle matters with as little casualties as possible."

"Reborn, just what the hell is going on?" Tsuna asked

"He's back" was the only response that Vongola got from the former Sun Arcobaleno.

"Who is 'he'" Everyone turned their attention to the monitor that was now displaying what was on Dino's laptop. And within seconds, they felt their blood go cold as they stared at the man's face. There was no doubt about it.

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.

.

"Him."

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[TBC?]

* * *

So~ Tsuna brought them over to the Vongola HQ to discuss matters, but didn't get a chance to actually get any useful information. And the little fall out scene between Haru and Kyoko...I hope you guys don't mind. But hopefully that answers some questions and such, like if Kyoko and Tsuna were together. They **were **dating, but since the whole 'Missing Haru' situation, they broke up.

Also, there will be hints and bits of romance between some characters. In the next chapter, Reborn and Dino will be talking about what's happening. And the reason for the Vega famiglia being in Namimori will also be revealed in the next chapter.

And who is **him**? Him can be anyone from a previous KHR character to a new villianous OC. Of course, I won't be making too much OCs for the fun of it.

Anyways, thank you for taking the time to read. Please feel free to write a review, I don't mind constructive criticism but please no flames.


	7. Him

**Disclaimer**: I don't own KHR

**Authoress note**:...I am so so so sorry about the long wait for an update. I thought I had time management down...I was utterly wrong. I have a lot to study for since midterms is only two weeks away from now, and I'm failing one major right now. Thankfully though, its only one and I know I can bring it up to passing. So, please expect the updates for CV and With these wings to be on the slow side.

In the last half of the chapter, you will finally meet 'him' and his personality. Of course, there is more that meets the eye to him, but this way, you can kinda tell his character. Honestly, I will warn about the last half of this chapter.

**Warnings**: OCs, OOC, swearing/use of language, not suitable for young teens, rating may change, warning for last half of chapter.

**Summary**: They called her useless. So, what happens when a current tutor decided to prove them wrong, by sending her to train with an unknown ally famiglia of the Vongola?

* * *

"_H-Him_...we...we're u-up against h-him?" Rei stuttered, causing all eyes to focus on her. She was trembling, tears forming in the corners of her widened eyes. Not once did they leave the photo of the man on the monitor, not even when she dropped to her knees. In an instant, the Vega Storm guardian who was standing just beside her knelt down and covered her with his sweater, in an attempt to comfort the woman. It worked, the long haired maiden pulled the clothing over her head to shield her appearance from everyone but she was still slightly shaking. Kazuki whispered softly to her, no one else being able to hear what was being said. The youngest Vega guardian rubbed the female's back soothingly and pulled her to him, a protective arm holding her close in a tight embrace. Haru soon followed, squatting down and resting a hand on the crown of the other girl's head.

"Reborn,...you can't be serious. Please tell us that you're joking about who the enemy is." Yuki said, scanning the room intensely, glaring at anyone who dared to look at his terrified comrade. On occasion, he'd look down at her, his eyes softening at the hidden ball that is his partner's twin sister. Although he would never admit it to anyone out loud, he truly cared deeply about his famiglia's welfare. He didn't take lightly to those who make his famiglia uncomfortable or unhappy.

"I thought he was already caught and locked away in the deepest, maximum security chambers in all of the Vendicare Prison." Yamamoto commented, looking at the dark haired male. Reborn merely lowered his fedora, the shadow falling over his eyes.

"Apparently Mukuro wasn't the only one with a powerful Mist follower to bail him out. There was a breech in security."

"The Vindice had believed that before he could escape, they had recaptured him. However, the one that they had captured as a dead inmate, mist was used around the body to create the illusion while the real one escaped with his accomplice." Dino said, looking very serious. "That's a big enough warning that we have to be careful about dealing with this...situation."

"So there's **another** powerful Mist user thats able to fool them and is running amuck with that guy!? Well that's just **fucking** great to know" Rita snapped loudly, causing some in the room to flinch at the tone of her voice. She continued to let out a long string of curses under her breath, the angry expression on her face unwavering, tears of frustration forming in her eyes. She crossed her arms over her chest, and turned her back to the rest of the room, but did not move from her famiglia's side. She didn't want anyone and she didn't like it when anyone saw her cry. She spoke again, her voice strained and cracking, "Fucking fantastic."

"I am going to kill him if it is the last thing I do." Shinji said, more to himself rather than the occupants of the room. His eyes were hardened, no longer sporting the kind warmth many people got from looking at his amethyst colored irises.

Tsuna looked carefully at the members of the Vega. It was clear as day to everyone that there was some bad blood between the Vega and the enemy. The friendly aura that their allies had been emitting before was now replaced with a dark feeling of sadness and hatred...more of the latter than the former.

"Don't go charging in so hastily." Reborn replied, signaling for Dino to turn off the monitor. He casted his gaze to the Vega Storm guardian, who was now holding onto the unconscious Rei, having cried herself to sleep (and also from exhaustion). Kazuki shifted his arms slowly, as to not wake the slumbering female, and moved her in a more comfortable position as he sat on the floor. He noted that the Vega Decimo's gaze rested shortly on the Vega Cloud guardian before returning to the former Sun Arcobaleno. "I know how you feel, trust me, Shinji. But to rush in will surely lead us to our deaths. We need a plan"

"Che. Fine with us." Gokudera said, clicking his tongue. "As long as they don't get in the way, I am okay with any plans."

"Likewise, Chimney." Takeru didn't miss a beat in catching the Bomber's insult and quickly flung one back.

"What did you call me!?"

"You reek of tobacco and explosives. Chimney is a more fitting name for you."

"If you will please excuse us, we will be retiring for the evening. I thank you for having us over, but we shall be returning to our home as it has been a long day. Good night." Shinji bowed to the occupants of the room, and his famiglia followed his suit. He stood straight after, and turned on heel, leaving the room. Haru glanced at the Vongola guardians one last time before nodding once and closing the door behind them.

…

"Just what the hell was that about? Their Cloud guardian just had a damn break down. Is she emotionally weak?" Gokudera asked, his glare intensifying as he stared at the closed door.

"Now, now, let's not jump to the insults so swiftly, Gokudera-kun." Tsuna said, trying to ease the Vongola Storm Guardian's temper. "I'm sure that there is a reason why she responded...why they all responded the way they did."

"Dame Tsuna is right. You don't know about what happened to Rei." Reborn added, standing from his position at the head of the meeting table. He fixed his tie, and repositioned his fedora before coughing to clear his throat.

"Something happened?" Lambo said, his attention fully on Reborn.

"A few years ago, after Haru had left. It happened before Haru met all the members. Rei was on a mission, a simple one. It was so stop a drug trade from happening, and she successfully completed that. But as she was returning back to Venice to met Haru, her transportation vehicle was attacked. She was thrown out and she blanked out for 3 seconds after hitting her head. By the time she opened her eyes, the carriage she was in was on fire, the horse and the carriage driver were dead. That was when he took advantage of Rei's dazed state and inability to fight back. When he had finished his assault on her person, she was found in a near death state, having lost a great amount of blood and several broken bones."

"But we encountered him a about a year or so ago. We weren't necessarily standing close to him, but we were in the same city. Why didn't he attack us?" Yamamoto asked.

"That remains unknown as well." Dino said. "Some suspect that he may have been hired by another person to attack Rei. And others believe it was because there was three of you, and he didn't want to deal with the hassle of fighting all of you."

"So this man is a coward?" Hibari stated, arms crossed over his chest. The others looked at him, and he returned their stare with his trademark, icy glare.

"Kufufufu, for once I agree with him. The man attacked the Vega Cloud guardian because she was alone. And to top it off, he was a sneak attack, not an upfront confrontation." Mukuro chuckled.

"Whether it be he is a coward or it is his strategical thinking, no one is sure. But we must inform every single one of our allies and see if we can recruit some into helping us lock up this man for good." Tsuna said, in place of Reborn who was just about to speak. "We will continue our meeting with the Vega tomorrow morning. Everyone, get some rest, its definitely going to be a long day tomorrow."

* * *

Haru stood silently at the end of the couch that the Storm guardian was occupying. He hadn't been laying down and taking up space, so he gestured for her to take a seat beside him, to which she politely declined and continued to stand. She needed to be awake during their small meeting. She was also paying attention for Rita, who was busy tending to her (now awake) twin and guarding her like a fierce lioness. Yuki, the ever so serious Rain guardian, was the closest to the window and his focus mainly outside. Haru could tell that he was doing a thorough scanning of the yard to make sure that there was no way that an enemy could take advantage of the surroundings to hide and attack them.

Shinji crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes closed as he slowly took in deep breaths to calm himself. There was no doubt that he and Rita were the most effected by the news, why wouldn't they be? Their sister was nearly killed by the very same man and they don't have a clue as to where the escapee of Vendicare may be. He was caught days after his attack on Rei but to be able to escape Vendicare within a short span of 5 years...

"Shit, of all the people who are locked up in the most secure rooms in all of Vendicare, it was him that had to be the one that escaped." Kazuki said, running a hand through his unruly mane of hair.

"If Rei encounters him again, she's going to have a hard time fighting him. She's traumatized by that event years ago." Takeru said, walking in with a bowl of warm soup and a cup of tea. "Haru, could you do me a favor and take this to Rei."

"Yea, sure." With that, Haru left and the male guardians all exchanged looks.

"Rei isn't going to be alone on missions if he is running amuck. Takeru, you are my strongest guardian, so I trust that you will be able to protect her as her partner.

"Are you sure about that, Shinji? I'm b-"

"I know that, Takeru. But nonetheless, you are still able to keep on par with Yuki and I. All the more reason for you to be her partner. And she loves dogs just as much as Rita, so that will also ease her nerves if she's with you. Please, understand this." The Vega Decimo replied. He glanced at his childhood friend who merely sighed and nodded at his orders. The blonde turned to Kazuki.

"Boss-man?"

"You and Haru will still be partners, understood. Protect her well, and she'll do the same for you. We can't let this man take advantage of any situation that may arise."

"Got it. No need to worry, I won't let any of you down."

"Yuki."

"Hm?"

"I know that you and Rita get along as much as fire and water, but I need you two to both behave an be on guard at all. You and Rita will mostly be the ones to track down any information and validate the ones that we have right now. This means that you'll be moving around quite a bit before anything can happen."

"Fine."

"Thank you. I will be with Reborn, in the meantime. He, Dino and I will be visiting Vendicare to see how exactly he escaped." Shinji said, standing to his feet. "This will happen after our continued meeting with the Vongola. Be on your best behavior, I am warning you all now. I won't tolerate for any foolish actions tomorrow morning. Now get some rest, we'll all need it."

* * *

Screams of pain were heard echoing throughout an empty building. The sounds of bones snapping shortly followed, leading to even louder howls of agony. Inside, a tall figure stood over the trembling form of the poor worker he savagely attacked. A wild smirk on the features of his face as he dragged a finger across the wound on the worker's face, catching crimson red liquid. Without missing a beat, the man slowly licked the blood off his finger, and a soft purr escaped his throat. Soon enough, it turned into full out laughter. The figure stood and made his way over to the only other co-worker.

"I wonder how this woman here tastes. Maybe just as wonderful as you? Or even better."

"W-Who..who a-are you." The man was ignored as the mysterious attack suddenly clashed lips with the horrified, blood covered female. She continued to make whimpering sounds and tears spilled from her eyes. She was trying to push away from the unknown man, and suddenly, she let out a sharp breath, a silver gleaming object having pierced through her lower right quadrant of her abdomen.

"I don't like when my prey tries to fight me."

"P-Please, let me l-live, I have a husband a-and kids!" The woman sobbed, having a hard time speaking through her pain. The man merely smirked before he leaned down and captured her lips once more, and the woman cringed at the metallic taste of blood. She tried pulling away again, only for his to growl angrily and warningly nip her on the lip. With his blade, he made quick work of her clothes. He pulled away, a feral, dangerous look on his face.

"Spiral!"

'Spiral' turned to face the woman who had called his name, a frown on his face. "What do you want?"

"We need to leave, the police are coming soon. We already got what we came for."

"Tch."

Without a second thought, he dug his blade into the side of the female worker's neck before doing the same to the dying male. Spiral stood to his feet, putting away the sharp weapon he wielded and moved to leave.

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[TBC?]

* * *

Sorry for the wait and the bland chapter. Truly sorry, but I really don't have enough time at all. When I get a chance to, I'll revise this chapter. But, now you know 'Spiral's' somewhat twisted personality. No, its not for kicks and giggles, his personality will come into play in the later chapters. Um...'Spiral' isn't his real name, think of it as a code name of sorts or something. Just what was it that he and his unnamed partner took from the workers.

Anyways, thanks for taking the time to read. I don't mind constructive criticism but please no flames, thanks.


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